Jay,

As one of the commentators on our blog stated, parent satisfaction does not define whether vouchers have been successful. So while I am sympathetic to parent testimony, it’s hardly a reason for changing my stance.

I have cited and linked to three studies by the U.S. Department of Education specifically looking into the D.C. voucher program and they show without a doubt that this program has come up short. I can also cite studies of the Milwaukee and Cleveland school voucher programs that show students attending voucher schools perform no better in reading and math than kids who stay in public schools.  See these studies here and here.

It’s also important to note that the Zelman case only addressed the U.S. Constitution and did not address state constitutional issues. Thirty-seven states have a church-state provision that is even stronger than the U.S. Constitution, and voucher programs have been struck down in some of those states. Most recently, the Arizona Supreme Court struck down two school voucher programs, finding they were in violation of the state Constitution’s “no-aid” provision. This provision prohibits “appropriation of public money…in aid of any…private or sectarian school.”

Jay, voucher programs are only going to make public schools suffer because tax money that would ordinarily go to public schools now pays for vouchers. Taking away precious funding hardly seems like a way to improve our public school system.